Werder Bremen have sacked coach Ole Werner after he told the club he would not be extending his contract.
The 37-year-old was under contract until the end of the 2025-26 campaign but indicated that he would not be renewing his deal beyond that point.
“Since we need continuity and clarity for the position of head coach in the future, we have decided to let Ole go,” Bremen’s managing director for sport Clemens Fritz said.
“We are really disheartened by this decision, because we could have easily imagined working with Ole in the long term.”
Werner, regarded as one of Germany’s leading young coaches, took over at Bremen when they were in the second division and oversaw promotion, then steady improvement in the Bundesliga. The team only narrowly missed out on European qualification this season, finishing in eighth place in the Bundesliga.
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Werner took over as Bremen coach in unusual circumstances in November 2021 after his predecessor Markus Anfang resigned while facing an investigation into his use of a fake COVID-19 vaccine document.
He said: “For me, it was clear that after my contract ends – and after four and a half years – a change of head coach is needed to enable further development.
“That’s why I made the decision for next summer and informed the club’s management. I understand Werder’s decision from the club’s perspective. I had a wonderful time in Bremen with my coaching team, fantastic staff, a great squad and club officials whose support I always felt.”
